Advancements in eye disease research and medical education took center stage in New Orleans as Shay Nakahira, a fourth-year student at the University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa (JABSOM), presented her work at two national ophthalmology conferences in October 2026.

Nakahira collaborated with Stanford University researchers on six projects during a six-month research experience at the Byers Eye Institute. All of the projects were presented at the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) and American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) conferences.

Nakahira contributed to research addressing thyroid eye disease, health disparities, surgical complications and virtual reality (VR) education.

“Getting to present some of our work together [at these conferences] was especially meaningful for me after seeing how much teamwork and collaboration went into these projects,” said Nakahira.

Research with real-world impact

One project, a VR-based 3D orbital anatomy atlas developed with Stanford fellow Chad York Lewis, received Best Poster in AAO鈥檚 Medical Education subcategory. The atlas combines historic stereoscopic anatomical photographs with interactive VR technology to enhance anatomy training.

Nakahira was particularly passionate about an eight-institution study examining long-term outcomes of using the drug teprotumumab to treat thyroid eye disease, including relapse and retreatment patterns.

“What makes this work meaningful to me is its potential to improve our understanding of how patients do after treatment and how they are managed if they relapse,” Nakahira said.

Nakahira鈥檚 interest in ophthalmology began while working as a clinical and surgical ophthalmic technician at the Cataract and Vision Center of Hawaiʻi after studying communications at the University of Connecticut.

As she completes medical school, Nakahira hopes to carry forward the mentorship and collaboration that shaped her research experience.

“This experience gave me more confidence to ask questions, explore new ideas and take on things I hadn鈥檛 done before,” she said.

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University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo students earned two first-place wins in a national sociology competition. The student team received a perfect score.

The team award went to Dylan Bibilone, Frances Rayla, Ghelie Lei Tamayo and Melinda “Mindy” Yagin, while Kassidie Hayashida earned the individual research paper award.

“They knocked it out of the park!” said Ellen Meiser, assistant professor of and the team鈥檚 coach.

The students participated remotely in the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology鈥檚 conference, October 16–17.

The team challenge asked students to solve a problem for a Texas nonprofit working for social justice and developing community leaders.

The students tackled misinformation surrounding voting and issues at the polls. Their plan included voter rights tools, community education and ideas to recruit young people as poll monitors.

“I don鈥檛 know if I鈥檝e ever seen a perfect score before!” said Lindy Hern, sociology professor and department chair.

Hayashida鈥檚 paper, “Autism and News Media,” examined how news coverage portrays autism. Her research explored how coverage can contribute to stigma, including whether stories include autistic voices.

achieved their highest cumulative grade point average on record during the 2025–26 academic year, according to a report presented October 1 to the 糖心视频 Board of Regents (BOR) Academic and Student Success Committee.

糖心视频 M膩noa student-athletes finished the spring 2026 semester with a 3.33 cumulative GPA, the highest in the program鈥檚 recorded history.

“We want to make sure that we are focused on their academic performance, their health and safety, they have the right nutrition, they’re able to travel and get the resources they need to be successful,” 糖心视频 M膩noa Athletics Director Matt Elliott told the BOR.

The student-athletes also posted a 3.31 semester GPA in spring 2026 and a 3.32 semester GPA (highest semester GPA) in fall 2025.

Record-breaking GPAs, degrees

During the 2025–26 academic year, 174 student-athletes earned degrees, including 29 in fall, 121 in spring and 24 during the summer. A total of 132 student-athletes recorded a perfect 4.0 semester GPA, while 25 finished spring with a 4.0 cumulative GPA.

All 21 糖心视频 M膩noa teams posted GPAs above 2.99 in spring 2026. Eighteen teams had GPAs above 3.20, and 11 posted GPAs above 3.50.

Student-athletes also earned 57 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors and 172 Academic All-Conference Team and Commissioner鈥檚 Honor Roll selections. Football placekicker Kansei Matsuzawa was named a CSC Academic All-American after posting a 3.68 GPA.

糖心视频 M膩noa also reported an NCAA Student-Athlete Graduation Success Rate of 87% for the latest four-class average, representing an increase for the third consecutive year. The federal graduation rate was 61% for the latest four-class average.

The 2024–25 single-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) was 963, with five teams earning perfect scores of 1,000: men鈥檚 basketball, softball, men鈥檚 tennis, women鈥檚 tennis and women鈥檚 volleyball. The four-year APR was 977, with men鈥檚 tennis and women鈥檚 volleyball earning perfect multi-year scores.

糖心视频 M膩noa also provided Alston Academic Awards to 87 student-athletes during 2025–26, including 63 in fall and 24 in spring. The athletics department hosted academic recognition events and commencement celebrations throughout the year to recognize student-athletes for academic achievement, leadership and community service. Elliott commends Director of Student-Athlete Academic Services Garrett Clanin and his team for supporting the student-athletes and helping them achieve academic success.

“Our goal is to not just bring a student in to play here for one game or one season, but to make sure that they stay, and that we give them every possibility to earn a degree from this place, this wonderful institution, and to be alumni for the long term,” Elliott said.

Two University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa graduate students received the 2025–26 Ping Yip and Jong Hung Chan Award, recognizing their commitment to community, integrity and creating greater harmony through their work and actions.

The award, coordinated by the , recognizes graduate students who exemplify moral character, strength and integrity through personal or public behavior. With a strong pool of applicants, two recipients were selected: Alondra Reyes and Ernest Bethe IV. Each received a $2,500 award.

Social contexts, racial disparities

Reyes, a PhD student, was selected during her first semester at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补. Her research examines how social contexts contribute to racial disparities, including the ways media portrayals can reinforce social inequalities. She also works with community leaders through Mālama I Nā Ahupuaʻa, learning about traditional land preservation and restoration.

“Receiving this award has strengthened my mission as a first-generation PhD student to bridge research with community action, providing the support I need to continue grounding my work in the pursuit of true harmony for the people of Hawaʻi and beyond,” Reyes said.

Urban environments, reconnecting people with nature

Bethe graduated from the master of program in August. His work focused on creating urban environments that reconnect people with nature and each other, including through pollinator-friendly design, informal green spaces and food forests. His capstone explored how Honolulu could become a more multispecies city, where people have more opportunities to encounter and coexist with urban wildlife.

He also worked with the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice to help develop safe walking routes to school in Waipahu. Bethe said the award reminded him that people often discover their capacity to act when others need help.

“I think everyone has this in them. We beat ourselves up for the things we don’t do, but I’d bet most of us do the right thing in a crisis,” Bethe said.

Bethe will embark on a 10-month research initiative in Ecuador through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

The Ping Yip and Jong Hung Chan Award is open to any currently enrolled, full-time graduate student at 糖心视频 M膩noa, regardless of field of study. Students may self-nominate through the STAR Scholarship portal. The deadline to apply for the 2026–27 award is October 15.

The Department of Psychology and Department of Urban and Regional Planning are housed in 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 .

A University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo undergraduate earned national recognition for her commitment to making a positive difference in her community. Puna resident Lexy Kaye Ramos was selected for Campus Compact鈥檚 2026–2027 Newman Civic Fellows cohort, a national fellowship that supports students with strong potential for civic leadership and community engagement.

“I don鈥檛 fit the traditional image of a leader, but my commitment to my community has driven meaningful change,” said Ramos, who was born into poverty and grew up in a rural barangay, or village, in the Philippines before moving to Hawaiʻi Island in elementary school.

Leadership through service

Ramos, a junior at 糖心视频 Hilo, is a major with a minor and holds a 3.98 GPA. She serves as a third-year Bonner Student Leader with 糖心视频 贬颈濒辞鈥檚 and was also an active member of the campus鈥� chapter of Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA)鈥揊uture Health Professionals.

Dedicated to addressing health disparities and expanding access to care, she logs hundreds of service hours each year through community-based health education and outreach initiatives. Recently, Ramos and her Bonner cohort conducted a semester-long participatory action research project, facilitating student focus groups to evaluate students鈥� sense of belonging and presenting actionable recommendations to campus leadership.

Aspiring to become a culturally-competent physician, Ramos views medicine and civic action as inseparable.

“My family often says an Ilokano proverb, ‘Ti tao nga nakaam-ammo ti rigat, isu ti makaawat ti padana,’ meaning those who understand hardship understand others. Meaningful change begins at the intersection of personal experience and community need, and I will continue working alongside others to address barriers that shape health and opportunity,” said Ramos, who believes healthcare access shapes how we live with dignity and security.

Leading with kuleana

In nominating Ramos for the fellowship, 糖心视频 Hilo Chancellor Bonnie D. Irwin praised her hard work, humility and dedication.

“Lexy embodies the university鈥檚 commitment to kuleana (responsibility) through service-centered leadership and community engagement. She views leadership not as authority, but as a shared responsibility to bring people together across differences and create meaningful change,” Irwin said.

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo placed 75 student-athletes on the 2025鈥�26 D2 Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards list for attaining a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.

“ Our student-athletes continue to showcase an extraordinary commitment to excellence both in the classroom and in competition,” 糖心视频 Hilo Director of Athletics Patrick Guillen said. “ Balancing a full-time academic schedule with rigorous practice schedules, extensive travel demands and active engagement in our Big Island community is a remarkable achievement.”

糖心视频 Hilo’s 75 honorees were part of more than 21,000 student-athletes recognized from 179 institutions nationally.

This year’s total was one athlete away from matching the Vulcans’ record number of student-athletes set in 2024–25.

View the full list of honorees at .

Six University of Hawaiʻi community college students have been awarded the 2026 Servco Technical Education Program (STEP) scholarship that provides tuition and hands-on career development for the next generation of automotive technicians.

The scholarships from Servco Pacific Inc. support students pursuing their automotive technology degrees at four 糖心视频 campuses: Leeward Community College, Honolulu Community College, Kauaʻi Community College and the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College.

The 2026 recipients are:

• Josiah Tania, Leeward CC
• Justin Ryan Abad, Leeward CC
• Bronson Okamura, Honolulu CC
• Cyrus Medverd, Honolulu CC
• Joshua Galiza, Kauaʻi CC
• Robbiel Lyndon Fronda, 糖心视频 Maui College

Pipeline of skilled technicians

“STEP is one of the most direct ways we invest in the future of our workforce,” said Lance Ichimura, senior vice president of automotive distribution at Servco. “As our industry evolves, developing local talent ensures Servco and Hawaiʻi have a strong pipeline of skilled technicians for years to come.”

The program, which has partnered with local community colleges since 1991, covers tuition and books for recipients. Students also gain part-time paid employment at Servco as technician apprentices and receive mentorship from the company鈥檚 technical training team. Upon completing their associate degrees and securing a technician position at Servco, recipients are also eligible for funding for tools.

A University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo graduate student studying a surprising connection between ʻ艒pelu (mackerel scad) and kohol膩 (humpback whales) earned top honors at the 2026 Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference. Her research could help scientists better understand how recovering humpback whale populations contribute nutrients to Hawaiʻi‘s marine food webs and fisheries.

Breeann Andrade received the Graduate Student Presentation Award for Best Outstanding Oral Presentation for research examining whether ʻ艒pelu change their feeding habits during humpback whale season, including whether they consume skin naturally shed by the whales.

Andrade, who earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in marine science from 糖心视频 Hilo, is now a graduate student in the university鈥檚 graduate program. During whale and non-whale seasons, she is studying ʻ艒pelu collected from Hilo, Kona and Maui Nui, the region encompassing Maui, Molokaʻi, 尝腻苍补ʻ颈 and Kahoʻolawe. In the lab, she analyzes what the fish eat and looks for chemical clues that can help reveal where their nutrients come from.

“I feel honored that this project allows me to uplift ʻike k奴puna/kuʻuna (ancestral knowledge/tradition) and the ancestors that were researchers long before me on a larger scale,” Andrade said. “I want the information to make its way back to the people who can use it, and not just stay in academia, because I do believe that caring and taking care of Hawaiʻi is a k膩kou (we) thing.”

More 糖心视频 standouts

Andrade was not the only 糖心视频 student recognized at the conference. students Charlotte Bender, James Lee, Keala Kaaloa and Xander Nakamura earned the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Poster Presentation Award for a decade of student-led research monitoring Manu o K奴 nesting on their campus. Their work has helped document nesting changes, guide tree trimming around active nests and contribute information to conservation databases.

To learn more about Andrade鈥檚 research and how she studies ʻ艒pelu in the field and lab, go to .

—By Susan Enright

University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa student journalists earned top honors for reporting on some of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 most pressing issues at the 2025 Society of Professional Journalists Hawaiʻi Chapter Excellence in Journalism Awards.

糖心视频 M膩noa students received all 24 awards across eight student categories, with work examining federal research funding, Native Hawaiian programs, agriculture, immigration, local sports and other community issues. The awards were presented July 29 at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi.

“From in-depth coverage of the federal research funding environment to striking photos of shark diving expeditions, 糖心视频 M膩noa journalism students continue to document the life and communities of Honolulu,” said Journalism Program Director John Temple. “Journalism at 糖心视频 M膩noa has never been more vital.”

First-place winners

糖心视频 M膩noa students earned first place in all eight student categories:

• Alani Calderon, Student Investigative Journalism in Any Media
• Laurel Galvin, Student Breaking News in Any Media
• Malia Manuel, Student Feature Journalism in Any Media
• Yuzu Martin, Student Sports Journalism in Any Media
• Jordan Kala鈥榳aia Nunies, Student Journalism Featuring Video
• Gabriela Cervantes, Student Journalism Featuring Photography
• Emma Caires, Student Journalism Featuring Audio
• Tia Lewis, Student Editorial/Opinion Writing

Students also earned every second- and third-place award. The winners included students taking journalism courses in the School of Communication and Information in the College of Social Sciences, along with students reporting and creating for Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi, 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 student newspaper.

The range of recognized work reflects the breadth of storytelling produced by 糖心视频 M膩noa students across written, audio and visual journalism.

糖心视频 the for the complete list of winners and their award-winning work.

Fifteen University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa softball student-athletes were named 2026 Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).

The Rainbow Wahine were also recognized as an Easton/NFCA Top Academic Team after posting a combined 3.53 team GPA for the 2025–26 academic year.

The 15 honorees are Milan Ah Yat, Ellyanna Cinzori, Amelia “Millie” Fidge, Maycen Gibbs, Larissa Goshi, Maya Ichimura, Taryn Irimata, Keely Kai, Teiah Keliiholokai, Jamie McGaughey, Carys Murakami, Bailey Nagasako, Hannah Pitts, Abby Sasaki and Cierra Yamamoto.

The NFCA Scholar-Athlete program recognizes student-athletes who maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher through the spring semester. Across NCAA Division I, 2,637 student-athletes earned the honor for the 2025–26 academic year.

For more information, visit the .

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo women鈥檚 soccer team has been named the winner of the 2025–26 Pacific West Conference Women鈥檚 Team Community Engagement Award after completing 637.5 hours of community service during the year.

The Vulcans volunteered across campus, at local schools and throughout the Hilo community. Their service included M膩lama ʻ膧ina Day, where they picked up trash and planted kalo, along with the Merrie Monarch Festival, Boo at the Zoo and Special Olympics. The team also read to elementary students on Dr. Seuss Day and supported Team IMPACT and Unity Prom.

On campus, student-athletes helped with Move-in Day and health fairs. They also gave back to the local soccer community by assisting with tournaments at Wai膩kea High School, the N膩 Hoa Cup and Mini Big Tournament.

“Excellence at 糖心视频 Hilo extends far beyond the pitch, and this recognition highlights our student-athletes鈥� dedication to giving back and making a meaningful impact throughout the community,” 糖心视频 Hilo Athletics Director Patrick Guillen said.

The honor follows 糖心视频 贬颈濒辞鈥檚 PacWest Team Engagement Award for 2024–25.

“What was most rewarding was to observe the growth of our student-athletes over the course of the year,” Head Coach Gene Okamura said. “They took initiative, demonstrated accountability and built meaningful relationships across all of these experiences.”

For more information, visit the .

When Vivian Legaloimoe Ho Ching was named first runner-up in the 2026 Miss American Samoa contest, she added another remarkable achievement to a journey already defined by service, leadership and dedication to her community.

A recent graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa’s , Ho Ching is the first student to complete the Master of Social Work (MSW) online program while residing in American Samoa. Her accomplishment highlights the importance of creating pathways that allow students to pursue advanced degrees while remaining in their home communities.

My journey has always been about giving back to the community that has shaped me.
—Vivian Ho Ching

“Vivian represents the very best of what is possible when educational opportunity, cultural identity and community service come together,” said Theresa Kreif, director of Pacific Partnerships and Workforce Development Initiatives. “Her success demonstrates that students can pursue advanced education while remaining connected to their families and cultural values.”

“Increasing access to our online social work programs allows students throughout the Pacific to pursue a high-quality education without having to leave the communities they plan to serve,” said Meripa Godinet, associate dean of the Thompson School. “Vivian鈥檚 achievement demonstrates how accessible educational pathways can prepare local professionals, strengthen the regional social service workforce, and create lasting benefits for families and communities. Her accomplishment also honors the social work alumni connected to American Samoa who came before her, whose service, leadership, and commitment helped establish a strong foundation for future generations of social workers.”

A commitment to service

For Ho Ching, both her education and her pageant role are grounded in a commitment to service. While completing her MSW field internship at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in American Samoa, she provided support to veterans and their families, developing skills grounded in Pacific values.

“My journey has always been about giving back to the community that has shaped me,” said Ho Ching. “Earning my MSW while remaining in American Samoa allowed me to stay connected to my culture and grow as a professional.”

As first runner-up in the Miss American Samoa contest, Ho Ching serves as a cultural ambassador, advocating for issues important to Pacific communities. Her social work background reinforces this role, emphasizing advocacy, social justice, and community wellbeing.

“I see both social work and the pageant experience as opportunities to uplift others,” she said. “Both are rooted in listening to people and working to create positive change.”

Ho Ching’s success reflects the Thompson School’s broader commitment to strengthening the social service workforce throughout the Pacific. Her achievement serves as a model for future students, proving that advanced education can be pursued without leaving home, while bridging the gap between professional expertise and cultural stewardship.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo ranked No. 23 for team GPA across all NCAA Division II women鈥檚 golf programs for the 2025鈥�26 school year, with a 3.681 GPA.

The achievement for the 2025–26 school year was announced by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association.

The 2025–26 Pacific West Conference Champions were the only PacWest Conference team to land inside this year’s top 25, and also placed No. 23 in last year’s rankings.

2025–26 糖心视频 Hilo women鈥檚 golf honorees

• Kieran Florino
• Kiara Kimata
• Trinity Ledgerwood
• Kailee McKee
• Elle Otani
• Kiersten Saludares
• Jaylen Wan
• Erica Yokomoto

Read more at .

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its Team Academic Awards for the 2025–26 academic year with the University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa men’s volleyball team, the Rainbow Wahine indoor team, and the Rainbow Wahine beach team each gaining recognition.

It marked a sweep for 糖心视频, which was one of just four schools whose women’s, men’s and beach teams all earned recognition from the AVCA.

The Rainbow Warriors returned to the honored list after boasting a 3.39 team GPA during the 2025–26 school year. The academic honor caps off a historic season in which the men’s team captured the 2026 NCAA National Championship in May. The Warriors previously earned AVCA academic honors in 2024, when they were the lone Big West representative on the men’s list and earned the Team Academic Honor Roll distinction.

The Rainbow Wahine Beach Volleyball team continued its sustained excellence by earning the distinction for the sixth straight season. The BeachBows posted a 3.60 team average during the 2025–26 school year, continuing their rich tradition of academic and athletic balance under new head coach Danny Alvarez.

The Rainbow Wahine indoor squad rounded out the sweep, posting a 3.45 GPA. The women’s indoor program has made the AVCA academic list six times in the last eight seasons, carrying strong classroom momentum into a new era under first-year head coach Joshua Walker.

Learn more about the honorees at .

The Artemis missions will return human beings to the surface of the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. This next generation of lunar exploration demands novel operational strategies and will see the integration of countless new technologies. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa student-led MAHINA (Multi-phase Artemis Era Human Investigations in Natural Analogs) project successfully completed two notable field campaigns aimed at supporting and advancing future astronaut teams in their missions on the Moon.

“We鈥檙e conducting research using environments on Earth that are analogous to those encountered during planetary surface operations to simulate lunar mission activities—all with the goal of maintaining crew performance and preventing cognitive overload,” said Aláine Lee, 糖心视频 Mānoa undergraduate student majoring in physics with a minor in human spaceflight who developed the MAHINA project.

Sampling tech on a lava field

In fall 2025, in collaboration with Hawaiʻi Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) Professors Peter Englert and Paul Lucey, MAHINA project students conducted a field campaign on a Hawaiian lava field site to test the use of thermal hyperspectral imagery in assisting astronauts in recovering geological samples. This type of imaging combines remotely sensed heat and light data to identify mineral composition and monitor land surface properties. The team used a lightweight hyperspectral imager that captures that data.

“We successfully demonstrated that processed thermal hyperspectral data could be used to direct the analog astronauts on which samples to recover,” Lee explained.

7,000-mile ocean voyage

In March 2026, Lee completed a 7,000-nautical-mile open-ocean field campaign from the Chilean Antarctic Territory to Mexico aboard an 86-foot research vessel that was supporting marine organism sampling activities. Lee received university approval to conduct research using a wearable functional near-infrared spectroscopy device. Previously deployed to monitor fighter pilots, the device was used to assess the cognitive and physical performance of a research vessel crew in the isolated conditions experienced during the passage.

“By simulating missions and gathering quantitative performance data in an analog environment, our project provides critical insights for understanding human performance,” Lee said.

The MAHINA project was developed in 2025 through the , which is administered by the in the 糖心视频 Mānoa (SOEST) and offers undergraduate minors.

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The University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa men’s basketball team has earned the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Team Academic Excellence Award for the third consecutive year, recognizing the program’s success in the classroom.

The Rainbow Warriors posted a combined 3.20 team GPA during the 2025鈥�26 academic year, surpassing the 3.0 GPA required to receive the annual honor.

A school-record seven student-athletes also earned NABC Honors Court recognition: Dre Bullock, Tanner Cuff, Isaac Finlinson, Isaac Johnson, Isaiah Kerr, Gytis Nemeikša and Harry Rouhliadeff. Kerr led the group with a 3.90 GPA, while Nemeikša and Rouhliadeff received the honor for the second straight year.

The program also earned a perfect single-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) score of 1,000 for the fourth time under head coach Eran Ganot. 糖心视频 recorded a multi-year APR of 988, exceeding the NCAA postseason benchmark and improving by 16 points from the previous year.

For more information, visit the .

The University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa women’s tennis team was named an Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic Team for the 11th consecutive season. In addition, four Rainbow Wahine earned ITA Scholar-Athlete honors: Allaire Berl, Emma Forgac, Makeilah Nepomuceno and Sophie Rachor.

The men’s tennis team also earned ITA All-Academic honors. Five Rainbow Warriors earned ITA All-Academic awards: Adriano Dzhenev, Timothy Li, Toa Maeda, Kent Mueller and Hikaru Takahashi.

To be named an ITA Scholar-Athlete one must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year, and be listed on the institutional eligibility form.

To be named an ITA All-Academic Team, programs must meet the following requirements: have a team grade point average of 3.2 or above, all student-athletes included should be listed on the institutional eligibility form, and all varsity letter winners should be factored into the cumulative team GPA for the current academic year.

Read more about women’s tennis at , and men鈥檚 tennis at .

A team of seven students from the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College recently proved their mettle in aerospace engineering. Competing under the name “Team Hoʻomau,” the students traveled to Virginia in June to participate in the 2026 International CanSat Competition, organized by the American Astronautical Society.

The event challenged participants to design, build and operate a small-sized satellite capable of surviving a rocket launch to a peak altitude of approximately 735 meters. Out of 81 university teams and 700 students worldwide, 糖心视频 Maui College was one of only 36 teams invited to the final competition. Team Hoʻomau was also the only squad composed entirely of two-year college students, competing alongside four-year universities and graduate-level programs.

A high-stakes free fall

The 2026 mission was complex: the CanSat was designed to separate mid-air, navigate via a paraglider guidance system, and safely deliver an intact, egg-shaped instrument to the ground, all while recording video and transmitting live data.

Team Hoʻomau faced major hurdles during the launch process. Communication with the ground station was lost on the launch pad, and a parachute deployment failure sent the satellite container into a 2,400-foot free fall. The drop resulted in the total destruction of the payload, and added a moment of intense stress as the falling satellite narrowly missed a parking area during its descent.

Educational payoff

Despite the dramatic finish, the educational payoff of the mission was a success.

“Although the final launch results were not favorable, this project provided invaluable, real-world learning opportunities in mechatronics, mission operations and aerospace system design,” said Jung Park, professor of electronic and computer engineering technology. “Our team faced immense technical constraints, yet their advancement to the finals proves unequivocally that community college students can compete successfully on an international engineering stage.”

Led by team captain Forrest Stolmeier, who sacrificed sleep to support his peers until the very end, the students walked away with valuable systems engineering experience and a newly expanded global professional network.

University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa’s Chelsea Miller has received national recognition for expanding access to hands-on genomics education.

Miller, a PhD student in the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering in the (CTAHR), earned the Outstanding Poster Award at the (NISBRE), held June 17 in North Bethesda, Maryland.

Breaking barriers in science education

Her award-winning poster, “Genome on the Go: Decentralizing Molecular Biology Education through Portable Genomics Tools and Near-Peer Mentorship,” highlights a training model designed to reduce barriers to advanced laboratory instruction for students in Hawaiʻi and other geographically isolated regions.

Developed through the (Hawaiʻi INBRE) program with support from U.S. Department of Agriculture workforce development initiatives, the project brings portable DNA sequencing tools and graduate student mentors directly to learners, enabling a full “sample-to-sequence” workflow in classroom and field settings.

Over the past year, Miller and her team conducted 11 workshops across Hawaiʻi, the Pacific and the continental U.S., training 72 participants using Bento Lab and Oxford Nanopore technologies.

Strengthening biomedical workforce development

The approach helps prepare the next generation of biomedical workforce while giving students access to modern molecular biology techniques typically limited to well-equipped research laboratories.

“This award reflects the incredible efforts of our graduate student instructors and the vision of making genomics accessible to every student, regardless of location,” said Jon-Paul Bingham, Hawaiʻi INBRE PATHways director and co-author of the project.

Miller was one of three Hawaiʻi INBRE-affiliated researchers recognized at the biennial NISBRE meeting, which highlights national research and training supported through the IDeA program. Also honored were Li Tao, professor at the , who received the Outstanding Mentorship and Teaching Award, and Natalie Graham, assistant professor at 糖心视频 Hilo, who earned the Scientific Merit Award.

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University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa student-athletes Lilian Turban and Ofeck Hazan have been named the Big West Conference’s Female and Male Scholar-Athletes of the Year for 糖心视频 M膩noa, recognizing their excellence in academics and athletics.

The annual award honors one male and one female student-athlete from each Big West institution.

Turban concludes one of the most accomplished careers in Rainbow Wahine track and field history. A two-time All-American, she captured eight conference titles and was twice named the Big West Championship Field Athlete of the Meet. She also earned four College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selections, became just the second Academic All-American in program history and received the 2026 Jack Bonham Award and the Big West Service and Leadership Award.

Hazan, a finance major from Israel, carries a perfect 4.0 GPA and became just the second Rainbow Warrior men’s volleyball player to earn the NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete Award. He helped lead 糖心视频 to a 28-5 season and the program’s 2026 NCAA men’s volleyball national championship.

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